Alcohol Awareness Month – April 2019

April 5, 2019

“Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow”

One in every 12 adults, or 17.6 million people, suffer from alcohol use disorder or alcohol dependence.

Founded and sponsored by the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (now Facing Addiction with NCADD), Alcohol Awareness Month was established in 1987 to help reduce the stigma so often associated with alcohol addiction by encouraging communities to reach out to the American public each April with information about alcohol, alcohol addiction, and recovery. Alcohol addiction is a chronic, progressive disease, genetically predisposed and fatal if untreated. However, people can and do recover. In fact, it is estimated that as many as 20 million individuals and family members are living lives in recovery from alcohol use!

Alcohol Awareness Month provides a focused opportunity across America to increase awareness and understanding of alcohol addiction, its causes, effective treatment, and recovery. It is an opportunity to decrease stigma and misunderstandings in order to dismantle the barriers to treatment and recovery, and thus make seeking help more readily available to those who suffer from this disease.

With this year’s theme — “Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow” — the month of April will be filled with local, state, and national events aimed at educating people about the treatment and prevention of alcohol addiction, particularly among our youth, and the important role that parents can play in giving kids a better understanding of the impact that alcohol can have on their lives. Local Facing Addiction with NCADD Affiliates as well as schools, colleges, churches, and countless other community organizations will sponsor a host of activities that create awareness and encourage individuals and families to get help for alcohol-related problems.

An integral part of Alcohol Awareness Month is Alcohol-Free Weekend, April 5-7, 2019, which takes place on the first weekend of April, to raise public awareness about the use of alcohol and how it may be affecting individuals, families, businesses and our communities. During Alcohol-Free Weekend, Facing Addiction with NCADD extends an open invitation to all Americans to engage in three alcohol-free days. Those individuals or families who experience difficulty or discomfort in this 72-hour experiment are urged to contact local Facing Addiction with NCADD Affiliates, Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and Al-Anon to learn more about alcohol use disorder and its early symptoms.

To help you plan and develop your own 2019 Alcohol Awareness Month events we have prepared an Organizer’s Guide which you can download as a PDF or our new Alcohol Awareness Month Social Media Kit. For more information contact Leah Brock: lbrock@ncadd.org

Please share your events, stories and photos with us on Social Media!

ACT Missouri proudly announces our 2019 Outstanding Youth Prevention Award Recipients!

March 29, 2019

At the Speak Hard Youth Conference, ACT Missouri and the Division of Behavioral Health honored some of our state’s most active and vocal prevention leaders. Each of them received a plaque and a Senate or House Courtesy Resolution at the ceremony in the Capitol’s Rotunda.

Joeley Clark

Morgan County C.L.E.A.R. (Community Leaders Educating About Resistance), Morgan County R-1

Joeley has been a member of Morgan County Tobacco Free Youth for 3 years. With the group, she has helped with various activities such as
Halloween in the Park, getting surveys completed, ordinance writing, attending city council meetings and Kick Butts activities. She was part of the Taking Down Tobacco pilot program. Joeley also works with Morgan County C.L.E.A.R. Coalition and has done several presentations throughout the community and her school on the dangers of second hand smoke.

Keiley Clark

Morgan County C.L.E.A.R. (Community Leaders Educating About Resistance), Morgan County R-1

Keiley is an active member of Morgan County Tobacco Free Youth. She was part of the Taking Down Tobacco pilot program. She has also worked with Morgan County C.L.E.A.R. on several community presentations on second hand smoke.

Mikayla Dierker

TryPOD-TREND, Grandview

Mikayla has participated in drug prevention programs since fifth grade with D.A.R.E. and the TREND Club at her school. She attended the Prevention Leadership Conference through the NCADA for 3 years as a participant and then as an intern for 3 years. She also attended the Teen Institute. Her passion for prevention has continued into her high school years becoming a member of the Jefferson County Drug Prevention Coalition’s Teen Advisory Board and a mentor to the TREND leaders at her elementary school. Mikayla is currently president of the TryPOD~TREND Club at her high school.

Brianna Fetz

Lee’s Summit CARES, Lee’s Summit West

Brianna, like the rest of our group, wants to encourage students to have healthy coping skills and find ways to bring more awareness for suicide prevention and reduce the stigma around mental health. We hope Brianna will continue to use her voice and gifts to keep her purpose and passion growing and help any community thrive. She has joined our Youth Mental Health and Wellness Task Force and volunteers her time for interviews, signs up for leadership roles within the group in order to bring successful student led activities to the City of Lee’s Summit.

Anya Jeffries

Youth With Vision, Park Hill South

Anya has served as Co-Chair for Youth With Vision for the past two years. She has been instrumental in identifying areas of need in our communities and developing campaigns and programs to address those areas. Over the years, she has attended Prevention Day at the Capitol, local prevention conferences, Northland Youth Leadership Summit, Juvenile Baseline, city council meetings for Clear Air and Tobacco 21, Bunco Mania and Mud Mania. Most recently, Anya developed a public service announcement to address the dangers of youth driving under the influence of marijuana.

Emma Latz

Youth With Vision, Kearney High Schoo

Over the past five years, Emma has been involved in all aspects of Youth With Vision (YWV). She has attended several Prevention Days, taking a lead role in the presentations to the legislators. She has also been a stable influence and played a major role in ensuring YWV is consistent in their actions to meet their mission and goals. She has attended several Northland Youth Leadership Summits, Northland Prevention Conferences, Juvenile Baselines, Mud Mania and Bunco. Emma’s dedication to Youth With Vision is matched by few others.

Jordyn Mays

Council for Drug Free Youth, Calvary Lutheran High School

Jordyn is an active member of Calvary’s Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) group. As such, she is involved in a number of activities, including the Safe and Sober program and the It Only Takes One campaign. She assisted with our Red Ribbon Week and our Suicide Prevention Week. Jordyn is a Missouri Youth and Adult Alliance Student Ambassador. She has participated in testifying at Prevention Day. Jordyn served as game night coordinator for our school’s SADD chapter. She coordinated the game night which was a joint effort between Calvary Lutheran High School and Helias Catholic High School. The purpose of the event is to provide an opportunity for an evening of safe fellowship for students from both schools.

Morgan Neal

Youth With Vision, Liberty North High School

Morgan currently serves as Co-Chair for Youth With Vision. She takes every opportunity to continue to learn, demonstrated by her attendance at ACT Missouri’s Prevention Conference the past two years and her attendance at the Northland Prevention Conference each year. Morgan developed Liberty North’s Trading Card program that identifies positive high school role-models and connects them with elementary and middle school students. The goal is to develop positive relationships and teach healthy behaviors and choices to the young students. Morgan was also instrumental in planning and implementing a week-long campaign named “How Full Is Your Cup”, aimed at reinforcing positive and healthy coping strategies and how to seek help when needed. Morgan developed a five-minute video on stress and coping that was played for the entire Liberty North High School student body and has been placed on Tri-County’s Encourage Hope and Health website for viewing. More importantly, her video is being made a permanent part of the “How Full Is Your Cup” campaign that will be given to over eighteen (18) school districts, representing over 50,000 students.

Brian Purkaple

Youth With Vision, Winnetonka High School

Brian is currently the Advocacy Chair for Youth With Vision (YWV) and is instrumental in identifying the priorities and needs for our coalition. He played an integral part in identifying the talking points for members as they met with legislators about the priorities of YWV. He has also become an essential part of his home school coalition, becoming the first student to ever attend meetings. Brian has also attended Prevention Day, NYLS, the Northland Prevention Conference, Mud Mania, Bunco Mania, and Juvenile Baseline.

Gage Shook

Youth With Vision, Lawson High School

As a member of Youth With Vision, Gage has attended Prevention Day, the Northland Youth Leadership Summit, Mud Mania, and Bunco. He has also presented at a Prevention Conference in Johnson County, KS, and is currently a co-chair for Cardinals in Action, his school coalition. Just recently, Gage coordinated a student presentation to Lawson’s City Council about the need to pass a Tobacco 21 Ordinance. Following that presentation, the council has indicated that it will approve the ordinance at their March meeting.

Emma Wiese

Lee’s Summit CARES, Lee’s Summit West

Emma regularly attends our Youth Advisory Board (YAB) meetings and recently joined our Youth Mental Health and Wellness Task Force. She brings an honest student perspective and helps us create programming and events based on that. Emma is a source of comfort for many of her friends and has gone out of her way to connect some friends with the resources they need. Emma joined a few other YAB members in a panel discussion with our community to discuss why students are stressed and healthy ways to help decrease stress.

Unless otherwise noted all photos taken by Chuck Daugherty, Director, ACT Missouri

Congratulations 2018 Prevention Award Winners

December 7, 2018

ACT Missouri, the Missouri Substance Use Prevention Network, and the Division of Behavioral health honored some champions of prevention during lunch at the Prevention Conference on November 28^th. Congratulations to these coalitions and individuals who made remarkable advances in their communities this year! They received a plaque and a signed Senate Resolution for their accomplishments.

Coalition of the Year

Communities Taking Action (CTA) has been working since 1995 to promote awareness of alcohol and substance use, offer resources to assist community members in combating the use of drugs by youth, and provide children a drug-free community in which to grow and reach their full potential. They are an integral part of their community, advocating for the reduction of youth substance use and assuring a healthy and vibrant future for the youth of Shelby County.

In 2006, CTA opened the Shelby County Teen Center which has helped to reduce dropout rates by 10%. The coalition implements evidence-based programs such as the Building Strong Families curriculum. They host many youth alternative activities such as basketball tournaments, 5th quarter events after football games, asset building activities, community education events, family fun nights, summer reading programs, business expos, and town hall meetings. They are an integral part of their community, advocating for the reduction of youth substance use and assuring a healthy and vibrant future for the youth of Shelby County.

Champion of Change for Prevention Award

When not serving as a professor in the UMKC School of Pharmacy at MSU, Dr. Heather Lyons-Burney can be found volunteering her time for many causes across multiple counties in Southwest Missouri. In business, in education, and in life; Dr. Lyons-Burney continues to be a champion for the communities and causes that she serves.”

In Taney County, she helped establish the non-profit Faith Community Health Clinic, where she continues to volunteer as a pharmacist and board member. She worked with Taney County Commissioners to establish a county-wide PDMP ordinance and serves as Co-Chair of ADAPT, a current DFC grantee and past CADCA Got Outcomes Coalitions of Excellence award winner.

In Greene County, she brought together area pharmacists, hospitals, and UMKC students to form the DREAM (Drug Responsibility Education and Advocacy Movement) coalition.

Champion of Change for Prevention Award

Don and Millie Lepley, Tri-C Coalition, Conception City

Due to an unexpected blizzard in northwest Missouri, the Lepleys were unable to attend the conference. A local school provided a live telecast of their surprising award presentation. You will be hard-pressed to find individuals in their upper 80’s (Millie is 89 now!) who are as immersed in prevention efforts as they are. They have been a part of the coalition for 17 years and have invested personally and financially in the coalition and the community.

Don and Millie help with various community and coalition events. They volunteer to assist with Easter egg hunts, back to school bashes, Santa work shop, Halloween Fest, hayrides and the supervision of monthly Teen Beat, a substance-free teen hang out. They both participate in the roadside cleanup efforts consisting of the 2 miles of highway adopted by the Teen Beat. Don and Millie also work at the Community-Wide Cleanup Day sponsored by the coalition. They have given rides, helped chaperone, cooked hotdogs and provided other help as needed. They have donated an abundance of personal money to prevention efforts and towards maintenance of the Teen Beat and have dedicated their lives to improving the environmental factors of at-risk youth.

Prevention Emeritus Award

Compass Health Network would like to congratulate Diane Ooton on her extraordinary prevention career to Central Missouri. The prevention field has been very fortunate to have such a dedicated, hard-working, knowledgeable coordinator. Diane was also a mentor and a teacher for the next generation of prevention specialists. Her compassion for what she did proved positively through the many lives she has touched. We are forever grateful for her service.

2018 Milestone in Prevention Award

For over 10 years, Jefferson County Drug Prevention Coalition has worked to help reduce youth substance use, and in the past year, JCDPC staff, executive board members, and volunteers have dedicated their time and effort into ensuring the sustainability of the coalition beyond the final year of their DFC grant. JCDPC was a leader in community organizing for passing the county wide PDMP. They coordinate the Jefferson County Drug Education Conference for professionals seeking training about local issues related to substance use.

Their Teen Advisory Board (TAB) is a group of youth leaders from different high schools who have committed to work on prevention measures that matter to them. TAB provides a comprehensive media campaign around Prom and Homecoming, its students are certified in conducting a Peer OTC Medication Safety Program, and in Nov, TAB will host their first Youth Drug Education Conference. Their commitment to prevention has held them together through challenges and the results speak for themselves.

2018 Milestone in Prevention Award

Caldwell County Cares Coalition, (CCC) is a well-established and respected grass-roots coalition that is valued by the community for the work and contributions they provide. Since 2013, CCC has provided educational programs and prevention events that target local youth and parents. They have worked relentlessly to identify gaps in their area; bringing the community together to seek resources to fill those gaps. They recently passed a Tobacco 21 ordinance and provided prevention messaging to the high intensity drug area of Hideaway Lakes.

CCC hosts an annual “Gifting the Grads” program to provide resources to seniors to help them achieve independence and avoid the negative impact substance use has on their future endeavors. They have made a great impact and rallied various stakeholders from multiple sectors to affect positive change.

ACT Missouri extends our full gratitude for the efforts and accomplishments of these true prevention champions.

What’s the Common Denominator?

October 10, 2018

What’s the Common Denominator?

The meme, “October is my favorite color”, perfectly states how many perceive this fantastic month and kickoff to fall. It also marks the observance of many important topics in the world of behavioral health: National Substance Use Prevention Month, Red Ribbon Week, National Teen Driver Safety Week, SADD’s Rock the Belt Campaign, National Bullying Prevention Month, National Depression Screening Day, and the National DEA Drug Take Back Day on October 27.

Why would all these observances fall together? Is there a common denominator?

Everyone remembers the busy work assignments we had in grade school where you matched the word with the synonym or definition. Can you match these social/behavioral issues with the correct implication?

As you can tell, there is no answer key to this worksheet! It doesn’t really matter which came first, they are debilitating, life-altering, and sometimes the permanently damaging ancillary effects of substance use.

However, the real common denominator for all these societal afflictions is prevention; increasing protective factors while decreasing risk factors. Is your community taking a multi-thronged approach to improving its behavioral health and reducing substance use? Join us for the Prevention Conference to find out how!

2018 Substance Use Prevention Conference

August 30, 2018

The Good News is that Prevention Works!

90% of Substance Use Disorders begin in the teen years.

2018 Substance Use Prevention Conference

Calling all Prevention Specialists, Registered Coalition Staff and Volunteers, Educators, Counselors, School Resource Officers, Law Enforcement Officers, Parents, SADD Sponsors, Faith-Based, Peer Support Specialists, Behavioral Health professionals, and anyone else who serves children and youth!

Check Out These Stats!

Enjoyment Factor!

88.5% or respondents scored their experience at the conference as “Very Satisfied” or “Satisfied”

So Worth It!

95.5% are “Very Likely” or “Likely” to attend the conference again.

Contact Hours!

We awarded over 882 contact hours to attendees for Prevention Workforce Development!

Who Attends?

Who is the Audience for
the Prevention Conference?

Last year, 36% of our attendees were coalition members! The rest included: Prevention Specialists, Counselors, Educators, Faith based, Law Enforcement Officers, Public Health Educators, Peer Support Specialists, SADD Members, and Behavioral Health professionals; to name a few.

And The Winner Is. . .

Don’t miss out on an opportunity to honor some amazing people and achievements from our field!

Who will be this year’s:

Coalition of the Year?

Milestone Achievement Coalition?

Champion of Change for Prevention?

Attend our Award Ceremony during lunch on Wednesday to celebrate some of Missouri’s prevention achievements

Ask Our Prevention Conference Alumni

Get ready to be agents of change in your community! Help keep our youth alcohol and drug free by attending our Conference! Join us for three days of networking with others and learning from experts about substance use prevention, resiliency, coalition building techniques, social media and marketing, grass roots mobilizing and advocacy, the latest information and resources on behavioral Health, and much more!

Don’t take our word for it; read what some of last year’s conference attendees said!

Met lots of wonderful people and learned about new programs and ideas to build coalition.

I truly felt that this year every session I attended was valuable to my work, and even my personal life.

I was amazed at the level of knowledge speakers have about substance use prevention and how it applies across the continuum of working with youth and families in the school setting.

The education opportunities were beyond my expectations. I only wish I could have attended more breakout sessions. I am so sorry I did miss some.
Not enough time to do it all.

Only $70

Registration for our conference is only $70.00!

Attendees can earn up to 16 Contact Hours; CHES hours pending! Our new online Contact Hour Application makes it easy to clock your hours and print your certificate at your convenience.

2018 Legislative Recap

May 23, 2018

During the 2018 Legislative Session, ACT Missouri tracked 67 substance use/behavioral health bills. Out of the thousands that were filed, only 148 made it to the finish line, were “Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed”, and will now be sent to the Governor to sign into law.

SB 718

SB 718 modifies provisions relating to maintenance medication filled by a pharmacist. It contains many other facets including the medical use of hemp extract, drug take back programs, discontinuation of using patient satisfaction scores regarding pain, increasing insurance coverage of Medication Assisted Recovery, and designating 2018-2028 as the Show-Me Freedom from Opioid Addiction Decade. SB 826 modifies provisions relating to pharmacy, including drug disposal, prescription limitations for controlled substances, and vaccine protocols.

If you are interested in the Department of Mental Health’s appropriation information, click below.

ACT Missouri would like to thank you for your advocacy efforts, both at home and at the dome. Please remember that the best time to build rapport with your legislators is when they are in their local districts. Meet with them, explain the importance of prevention and behavioral health policies, and demonstrate how your community is reducing youth substance use!

What, Exactly, is Prevention?

May 10, 2018

For eight years, I have joined the many professional and volunteer Preventionists in trying to explain what we do to the general public. Some common, brow-raised reactions include: “Drug prevention? You mean like DARE?”, “Prevention is a thing?”, “Oh I know, Red Ribbon Week!” or my favorite of all time, “You’re against alcohol?”

In 1735, Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote about fire precaution became “a thing” when he said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Many great American accomplishments and life-saving techniques were created with his creed in mind: forest and house fires, crimes, cancer, diabetes, safety, child abuse, and tooth decay to name a few. Finally, about 255 years later, as our communities were grappling with the devastation of Substance Use Disorders, falling short on resources for treatment, and discovering that this particular disease targets teens; substance use prevention was born.

To sum it up in one sentence, prevention efforts seek to increase protective factors and resiliency among youth by decreasing risk factors associated with initiating substance use. This is what we do! Missouri’s Prevention infrastructure is extremely successful because it allocates the resources, capacity building, and decision-making power to individual communities to address their unique needs.

On Monday, May 14, communities will kick off their celebrations of SAMHSA’s National Prevention Week; an annual health observance dedicated to increasing public awareness of, and action around, the importance of SU prevention and positive mental health.

Please join us and use this week to hone your prevention skills, learn the latest information, and help our communities thrive with “Action Today. Healthier Tomorrow”.

ACT Missouri proudly announces our 2018 Outstanding Youth Prevention Award Recipients!

April 5, 2018

Paige Anderson and Jennifer Hassler, from the Council for Drug Free Youth Coalition received the award for their exemplary involvement and service in prevention. Paige is a student at Calvary Lutheran High School where she serves as the school’s SADD Secretary and assisted with Safe and Sober, It Only Takes One, Red Ribbon Week, and Suicide Prevention week. She is a member of the Inklings Writing Club, Key Club, Future Teachers of America, LOGOS, GPSFLife, and FFA. She lettered in Drama Productions and received the Earth Science and Ag Science Award.

Jennifer is a student at Helias Catholic High School where she is an active member and President of 4-H, the varsity archery team, head sports photographer, wrestling cheerleader, and Editor in Chief of the school’s newspaper. She is a Kids for Wish Kids member and has granted the wish of a sick child by raising $5,000. She is often seen distributing food at the local mobile food pantry and serving meals at Trinity Lutheran church. Jennifer is also an active member of the group supporting Operation Bugle Boy and our veterans. Both students received a Senate Resolution from Senator Kehoe in his office.

Two of the winners are members of the Jefferson County Drug Prevention Coalition. Shelby Coleman, from Fox High School, is active in the Jefferson County Teen Advisory Board (TAB), Honor Integrity Inclusion and Pride (HIIP), DECA, and National Honor Society. She won the Mental Health Advocates’ Leadership Excellence Award at Missouri DECA State Career Development Conference. She aspires to be the best person she can be, chooses a drug-free lifestyle, and is an excellent student and role model.

Brittany Dake is active in the Jefferson County Teen Advisory Board, Windsor SADD, and Girl Scouts. She has attended Speak Hard, Teen Institute and was an intern at NCADA’s Prevention Leadership Conference. She is a CADCA certified trainer for Scholastic’s Over-the-Counter Medicine Safety Program. She volunteered with the Youth Cardboard Box Challenge other various work with her school, extra-curricular activities, and church. Both students were presented Senate Courtesy Resolutions from Senator Wieland in his office.

Winners from the Morgan County CLEAR Coalition were Anna Knoerle and Grace Unger. Anna began work with Morgan County CLEAR as an eighth grader and won their contest with her poster, “Keep on Jokin, Don’t Start Smokin”; which was used throughout the county to reduce tobacco use. She is actively involved with Tobacco Free Youth and attended their Youth Summit. She delivered prevention messages to peers during National Drug and Alcohol Facts Week and Smoke-Free Indoor Air programs to middle school students, Head Start parents, and other community groups. She presented “Youth Led School/Community Health Change” at the Missouri School Consolidated Health Conference. She is a SADD Officer, member of the Chamber Choir, Distributive Education Clubs of America, Student Council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, BETA, an A+ tutor, and her school’s softball, basketball, and track teams.

Grace Unger is a member of Morgan County Tobacco Free Youth, Morgan County C.L.E.A.R, and the Taking Down Tobacco project. She serves as her school’s Basketball Manager, Softball Manager, and was honored with the Community Theater’s Student of the Month, and Tobacco Free Missouri’s Outstanding Youth Leadership Award with the group. She is a passionate advocate that works hard to get the message out about the dangers of smoking and secondhand smoke. She is an outstanding speaker and is not afraid to share her fact-cited thoughts on the subject. Her strong will and determination will certainly assist in making the community smoke-free.

The Morgan County Tobacco Free Youth Coalition also received the award for their extraneous efforts to pass clean indoor air policies. Morgan County Tobacco Free Youth have been working for four years to educate about the risks of tobacco use and secondhand smoke and enact policy changes by: collecting signatures of support, distributing information, creating PSAs and posters, presenting to city council and mayors, collecting tobacco trash to demonstrate the scope of the problem, and conducting surveys. Several members developed and presented a session at the Annual Coordinated School Health Conference entitled, “Youth Lead School/Community Health Change”.

Representative David Wood attended the ceremony and provided House Courtesy Resolutions to Stover and Versailles High Schools for their smoke-free advocacy.

Five members of the Youth with Vision Coalition in North Kansas City were recipients of this prestigious award. Several received Courtesy Senate Resolutions from Senator Denny Hoskins, and Representative McGaugh presented her constituents with an official Missouri State Flag that had been flown over our Capitol.

Caitlyn Bohanan is the founder of her school’s Hornet Pride; a mentor/trading card program that connects high school students with middle elementary students to talk with them about good choices and staying drug free. She advocated with area Senators and Representatives about the effects and dangers of tobacco, prescription drugs, and the legalization of marijuana. She volunteered her time to perform retailer compliance checks and produced public service announcements. She is a volunteer coach for the Northland Chiefs Cheerleading Association, Synergy Domestic Violence Center, Gladstone Theater in the Park, and academic tutor for middle school and elementary students. She received the first youth “Leadership in Prevention” award at the annual Northland Prevention Conference and was selected for Fox 4’s “Reaching for Excellence” Young Achievers Feature. Representative Noel Shull provided House Courtesy Resolution in her honor.

Adones Eskew is also involved with Lawson’s Coalition in Action (CIA) and is passionate and dedicated to his school and community’s prevention efforts. He volunteered to attend the Northland Leadership Conference, Prevention Day, and the Northland Prevention Conference. Lawson’s CIA campaign, “How Full is Your Cup?” was a tremendous success and shared at the Northland Prevention Conference for other schools and organizations to learn from. He also has earned varsity letters for athletics and academic awards.

Piper Killingsworth is also an active member of Lawson’s Coalition in Action (CIA) and has been involved in her school and community’s prevention efforts. She volunteered to attend the Northland Leadership Conference, Prevention Day, and the Northland Prevention Conference. She participates in student leadership, countless clubs and school activities, and is the recipient of numerous academic and leadership awards; including college scholarships.

Jace Robinson has been a committed member and leader of Youth with Vision (YWV) for the past four years; currently serving as its Education Chair. He has also been a vocal advocate at the annual Prevention Day and other local events, speaking with state legislators on issues that impact youth. He has also worked on a variety of educational campaigns and PSAs, spreading the prevention message in the three-county area. He assists with YWV’s two annual fundraisers: Mud Mania and Bunco Mania. He is on the Varsity Soccer and Track teams and plays on a competitive club soccer team. His involvement in church includes serving as a Vacation Bible School helper, and he participated in the Missouri Chamber of Commerce Leadership in Practice Program.

Matthew Shafer joined YWV more than a year ago and attends monthly meetings and events. He attended Prevention Day at the Capitol and was a lead speaker; sharing our legislative priorities with our Representatives and Senators. He also volunteered his time and worked with his school to obtain permission to attend the Northland Prevention Conference in March 2018. Matthew is very active in his church and spends endless hours in volunteer and community service. He successfully completed and is certified as a paramedic and EMT as a senior in high school.

Honoring Our Veterans

November 2, 2017

“The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by our nation.” — George Washington

As we honor our nation’s heroes this week, the words of our first president still resonate today with astute clarity. We have made major improvements in how our veterans are treated and appreciated over the years, but as long as we have homeless, addicted, mentally ill, and incarcerated servicemen, this mission is far from complete.

This infographic provides a great snapshot of Missouri’s service members, veterans, and their families; representing 9.3% of our state’s population. It also demonstrates the work that still needs to be done to improve the quality of life for the military community. Several state departments are diligently collaborating and working to swing the troublesome pendulum towards the positive.

Veteran’s Treatment Courts are making impressive strides in getting some of our most vulnerable on the road to recovery. By utilizing volunteer veterans and active duty soldiers as mentors, our veterans feel open to discuss military specific issues and receive the special guidance they need. This model, which is nationally recognized, crosses the traditional jurisdictions of our state’s Courts and Probation offices.

There are currently 10 Veteran’s Treatment Courts active in Missouri; up from 1 since its inception in 2010. In 2016, 247 veterans received the substance use treatment they deserved and needed. Since 2010, the number of veterans served has increased significantly each year, and 706 of our soldiers struggling with substance use disorders have participated in the program.

For other behavioral health issues, our military families can access resources from the Department of Mental Health. These include self-assessment screening tools and information for children, traumatic brain injuries, substance use, sexual trauma, and PTSD. Download this fact sheet from the Division of Behavioral Health and the Missouri Behavioral Health Alliance.

At Make the Connection, they can find resources that connect veterans, their families and friends, and other supporters to information, stories, and solutions to issues affecting their lives as they transition from active duty. It also has information about the life events and experiences that are unique to this population.

President Obama exclaimed: “It’s about how we treat our veterans every single day of the year. It’s about making sure they have the care they need and the benefits that they’ve earned when they come home. It’s about serving all of you as well as you’ve served the United States of America”.

These book-end presidents’ words remind us all to do our part and take action to serve those that served us.

How Does Attending the Missouri Substance Use Prevention Conference Benefit Me?

August 28, 2017

Most people know about Substance Use Disorders (SUD) because the disease has affected their lives in some way, but very few people know about the Power of Prevention. ACT Missouri asked a few former conference attendees to describe how attending our conference benefits them in their varying professional fields.

Law Enforcement’s involvement in coalition work is essential to a well-balanced approach to community change. They see first-hand the havoc and devastation that SUDs cause to individuals, children, families, and communities, so it is important that they also have the first hand in prevention.

“The conference broadens an officer’s knowledge of how prevention and treatment strategies work so they can find other solutions to community problems.” Sgt. Larry Stobbs, St. Joseph Police Department

The Faith Community is also an important part of the prevention solution, and faith leaders can be very instrumental in helping struggling individuals find healing through spirituality and acceptance.

“Attending the MO Substance Use Prevention Conference, not only has a wealth of resources for how to help individuals, families and communities, it also provides basic, fundamental information that is easy to understand. Therefore, by attending this conference faith leaders can educate themselves around what Substance Use Disorders are and how best they can assist and support their communities. Armed with this information, faith leaders can now support their communities without the stigma of shame that often prevents or at best delays the help that is needed.” Reverend Darren Faulkner

“I believe the conference would be valuable for a representative from any church looking to make a difference in their community. Many churches, especially in smaller or rural communities, have limited resources, but they do have some resources! That makes it vital to see what others are doing and get ideas for ways they can contribute. Maybe they have a classroom that is only used on Sunday morning and another group needs a place to meet, or maybe retirees in the church would make good mentors. Churches must realize that the people who most need help are probably not just going to show up at church on their own, but if churches are visible and partnering in the community, faith-based solutions are an important part of the community conversation. Bringing people together at the conference is a wonderful way to get the wheels turning.” Cynthia Thomas, The General Council of the Assemblies of God

Educators spend all day with our youth and play a vital role in building resiliency and increasing protective factors.

“The 2016 Substance Use Prevention Conference was excellent. Most of the workshops were appropriate and informative for those in public education. This conference also provided the opportunity for professionals from different fields but with the common goal of improving the lives of children to network and learn.” Tommy Geeding, Nevada High School

Those who work in Juvenile Justice see how family substance use manifests in generational behavioral health complications and issues. They also can make a lasting difference for a young person in helping them to make positive choices to change the direction of their lives.

“Attending the Prevention Conference allowed me to bring back new ideas and information on how to address certain cases in various towns within the county I work in. Not every case is the same, so having new ways to approach situations is very beneficial, especially when working with juveniles. These new ideas and information have also been passed along to the various towns in the county I work in, which has limited resources, and has benefited the communities a lot as the schools and police departments have been able to work on new and improved prevention programs within their respective towns using this new information.” Christine Hannis, Deputy Juvenile Officer

These are only a few spokes on the Community Wheel that make successful prevention initiatives and coalitions. Please invite these other sectors to join the Power of Prevention: youth, parents, business and industry, media, fraternal and civic organizations, and healthcare professionals. Attending our conference is a fantastic foundation for the village it takes to raise strong, substance-free children!

“Help for Today, Hope for Tomorrow”

Please share your events, stories and photos with us on Social Media!

Joeley Clark

Morgan County C.L.E.A.R. (Community Leaders Educating About Resistance), Morgan County R-1

Keiley Clark

Morgan County C.L.E.A.R. (Community Leaders Educating About Resistance), Morgan County R-1

Mikayla Dierker

TryPOD-TREND, Grandview

Brianna Fetz

Lee’s Summit CARES, Lee’s Summit West

Anya Jeffries

Youth With Vision, Park Hill South

Emma Latz

Youth With Vision, Kearney High Schoo

Jordyn Mays

Council for Drug Free Youth, Calvary Lutheran High School

Morgan Neal

Youth With Vision, Liberty North High School

Brian Purkaple

Youth With Vision, Winnetonka High School

Gage Shook

Youth With Vision, Lawson High School

Emma Wiese

Lee’s Summit CARES, Lee’s Summit West

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Champion of Change for Prevention Award

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2018 Milestone in Prevention Award

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